Anything Can Happen Thursday
by slimandalittlebitfoxy
Summary: I can only assume that this has been done before, but, since it's Anything Can Happen Thursday, why not throw some Shenny into the mix? Quick one-shot, fluff included.


Penny threw her phone on her couch, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms and walked to the fridge. It was nothing new.

_Just another jackass wanting nothing more than to get in my pants, _she thought exhaustedly, pouring herself some wine. They'd gone out yesterday, and then made plans to go out again today. When she didn't invite him into her apartment that night, he must have figured she wasn't as_ easy_ as she appeared. She'd already gotten dressed up for it, since she had thought he was picking her up at eight and it was already seven forty-five.

"He could have had the decency to call earlier, but whatever," Penny sighed, putting the glass to her lips as she leaned against the kitchen counter, looking across her apartment, the untidy space feeling as lonely as ever.

She continued to stare off into space in dismay. _Another lonely Thursday night._

Caught up with drowning her misery in the wine, she jumped at the sudden noise at her door.

_Knockknockknock._ "Penny!"

_Knockknockknock._ "Penny!"

_Knockknockknock. _"Penny!"

"_Damn it, Sheldon,_" she hissed. He'd startled her enough to where she'd spilled the scarlet liquid all down the front of her dress. Although it was black, the dark splotch was clearly visible.

Grabbing a towel from the side of the sink and dampening it in frustration, she held it to the spot as she rushed to open the door. She would never hear the end of it if she didn't get to the handle quick enough.

The familiar figure stood in the hallway. A Flash emblem was blazing on the red t-shirt he was wearing, a yellow long-sleeved one rolled up to the elbows under it.

"'Sup, _moonpie?"_ She snapped, narrowing her eyes as she leaned next to the door. Penny was shocked to see his face fall slightly. "No—sorry, I—I've just been having a very crappy evening."

She was just as surprised that she was _actually_ apologizing as she was at the unfamiliar, crestfallen expression.

But, naturally, it didn't last very long.

"Since today is, as my so -called _friends_ have _cleverly _dubbed it, 'Anything Can Happen Thursday,' I have concluded that, since it would be astonishingly irregular for me to do preform the action that is about to follow, it will conform to this outrageous, 'Anything Can Happen' tradition. So, Penny," Sheldon paused, a strange look on his face. Penny had never seen him have such a face, and she wondered what it meant. _Is he nervous? Is he actually unsure of himself? The Great Sheldon Cooper, doubtful in his absolutely awe-inspiring abilities?_

"I was wondering if you would accompany me on what you may consider a 'date.'" He quickly looked down at his feet, the action so brief that Penny even wondered if she had even seen it right. When he brought his face back up, there was a smile on it—not a creepy-Sheldon smile, but an actual one.

It took a few moments until the question set it, and when it did, Penny's first instinct was to ask him if he was feeling well. She was shocked at what actually came out of her mouth. "Okay."

Her hands twitched in alarm at what she has just said and she dropped the towel she'd been holding. It had to have been the wine talking. "Oh, _God_—I mean—uh, can you give me a moment?"

She snatched the towel up and went to close the door on him, but Sheldon held it open. He looked slightly crestfallen. _What the hell is wrong with him today?_

"That was too straightforward, am I correct?" He looked quizzical. Like this was all an experiment. But underneath the quizzical expression, there was the one she'd just seen. The one of doubt. This time mixed with what appeared to be disappointment.  
><em>That's it! It's all an experiment, of course,<em> Penny thought, ignoring the underlying emotion she knew deep down was there. _And I really don't want to spend another night cooped up in here. Just remember it's all for science._

"Oh, no, honey," she shook her head. She knew she'd probably regret this later, but, content with her explanation before, she nodded and said, "Of course I'll go with you on a '_date._' Just let me change."

As he slid his long fingers from the edge of the door and headed back to his own apartment, she leaned against it and closed her eyes, trying to sort out the jumble of thought rushing through her brain. "What just _happened?_"

_And why is my heart racing?_ Penny made her way to the restroom and fixed her smudged makeup. Then she exchanged her stained dress for a pair of nice pants and her favorite dressy shirt. Nothing too over-the-top. It _was_ Sheldon, after all. She fixed her slightly disheveled hair and then took a deep breath.

"Well, it _is _the third Thursday of the month, Penny," she nodded at her reflection. "Anything can happen."

_Anything can happen._

She slipped on a pair of flats and went to the door, biting her lip as she knocked on the door across the hall.

"Oh, hey, Penny," _Great. Leonard. What am I supposed to say now? _He smiled as he asked, "What are you all dressed up for?"

At that moment, Sheldon walked out of his bedroom. And he actually looked _good. _She was relieved to see that he wasn't wearing any of that God-awful plaid he seemed to be so fond of. Or his layered superhero emblem shirts.

Of course, his tie did have the Batman symbol on it, but she supposed it could be worse.

"Penny and I are going out for the evening," he said as he slipped past his roommate. Sheldon glanced at his watch, which read just after eight, then continued. "I suppose I'll be back around ten. Goodbye, Leonard."

He closed the door on the other man's gaping face, then looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite read. "You look lovely this evening."

_Did he really just say that? _She thought as they began to head down the stairs. "So do—uh, so do you."

Finally, she just had to ask him. Before she went crazy. "What the _heck_ has gotten into you?"

"Well," he began, unfazed. "I've been thoroughly researching what to do on a 'date' and I figured I'd been doing rather well up to this point."

"But _why?_" Penny asked, still flabbergasted.

"Anything can happen, Penny," he smiled again, holding out his arm for her to take. Again, she was shocked that she actually complied. "There's a cab waiting for us outside."

And with that, she decided she would just let anything happen.

When they returned to the apartment building, she decided she would never question anything ever again. If she had in the first place, then she wouldn't have left that wine at all. Penny had actually enjoyed her night out with Sheldon, if she was honest with herself, and she couldn't be happier that that "okay" had slipped out before she had time to _really_ think about the total abnormality of the whole situation.

They hadn't even really talked most of the night. That in itself was surprising, since any other time he didn't seem to shut up. Actually, _she'd_ talked more. Not that she didn't usually talk a lot, but looking at who she was with, it was slightly surprising. Sheldon had picked a lovely restaurant, and didn't complain a single time about something being too hot or too cold or not looking a certain way or it having too much or too little of some kind of insignificant spice. After that, they had gone dancing, and it seemed he had researched _that_ as well.

As they walked up the stairs in surprisingly not-awkward silence, Penny continued to reflect on the night, and how she never thought she would be pleased about being stood up.

When they reached her door, Sheldon just gave her another one of those genuine smiles that she'd really come to love in the short time they were together. "Good night, Penny."

As he turned to leave, she grabbed his hand and spun him around. At this point, she was barely aware of what she was doing, but she just let herself continue. Not using an ounce of rational thought hadn't failed her in the past few hours yet, _so why would it now?_

Penny stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. Just as she was about to pull away, she realized in amazement that Sheldon was kissing her back.

His hand moved to the back of her neck, and she drew herself closer to him, her arms sliding down around his lean waist.

She wasn't sure how long the moment lasted, but when they simultaneously drew away, she wished it wasn't over.

"Anything can happen," they both whispered as he kissed her gently on the head. She leaned into him for a few seconds longer, enjoying the perfect moment in simple bliss.

Finally, Sheldon went back into his apartment and she into hers.

She closed the door quietly and collapsed onto her couch, then touched her lips gently. They still tingled.

_I love Thursdays, _Penny thought as she gazed at the ceiling a little longer, smiling to herself.


End file.
